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Battersea Dogs and Cats home has criticised the "inadequate" four month sentence handed down to two men who drove a nail into a dog's head before burying him alive.

Richard Finch, 60, and Michael Heathcock, 59, admitted to charges relating to the death of the dog at Teesside Magistrates’ Court after the 16-year-old terrier, Scamp, was found whimpering in a shallow grave by horrified dog walkers.

After pleading guilty, the two received a reduced sentence of four months in prison. The maximum sentence for animal cruelty is six months in prison.

Mr Heathcock had pleaded guilty to driving a nail into the terrier's skull while he was still alive, as well as failing to provide veterinary care and attention to the dog, and Mr Finch admitted assisting in the act.

The two men, who are both from Redcar, had previously pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences.

They claimed they acted as they did because they could not afford euthanasia for Scamp, and that the dog was starting to go blind, deaf and was incontinent.

However, the vet who examined the terrier described their actions as the worse case of animal cruelty he had ever seen.

Battersea’s Chief Executive, Claire Horton, said: “The unimaginable suffering Scamp endured at the hands of his owner, a person he should have been able to trust implicitly, will horrify the nation.

"The two men responsible have been sentenced to just four months in prison. Why? Because magistrates are unable to issue anything more than six months for even the most appalling and callous acts of animal cruelty. England and Wales’ maximum sentence simply must change. Four months for what was done to Scamp is neither a fitting punishment nor a deterrent.

“Animal lovers will surely want to come together and join Battersea and other respected animal welfare charities so we can make our collective voice heard for animals like Scamp.

“Our tougher sentencing campaign is already making its mark. We're asking the public to write to their MP and call for a five-year sentence for such shocking acts of cruelty as we need the punishment to fit the crime.”

The MP for Redcar, Anna Turley, who has a dog and has been campaigning to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty, said the case highlighted the "inadequacy of the law".

Anna Turley and her dog, ClemCredit:
Anna Turley

She commented: "I am pleased they have received a custodial sentence for what they did but the punishment is still not enough for the severity of the crime.

"The judge is limited by current sentencing guidelines and they will probably only be in prison for two months," she said.

"I will continue to press for my bill to be heard to increase the maximum sentence from six months to five years."

The maximum sentence for animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is six months in prison in England and Wales and 12 months in Scotland, compared to two years in France, three years in Germany and five years in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.